The

Keiki Angler

The Keiki Angler is produced by the Education Program, Hawai‘iDivision of Aquatic Resources. Funding is provided in part bythe Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Program, through yourpurchase of fishing equipment and motor boat fuels.

©1992 Hawai‘i Division of Aquatic Resources

Written by Randy HonebrinkIllustrated by Sharon Oetting

Department of Land and Natural ResourcesDivision of Aquatic Resources

1151 Punchbowl Street, Room 330Honolulu, HI 96813

1

Keiki Angling — A game for two players

An “angler” is somebody who fishes using a hook and line (the old word for fish hook was“angle.” In this game, players take turns choosing a fishing pole and following its line to a fish.Each player wins the number on each fish he or she “catches.” When all four of the fish arecaught, the player with the highest score is the winner.

2

Fishing Gear: What you’ll need to catch fish

LineThe “pound test” is a number thattells you how strong the line is.Thinner line is harder for fish to see.But it breaks more easily, too.

FloatersThey keep your bait off the bottom,and as deep as you want.Use the plastic type with a bamboopole. Use the wooden egg type witha rod and reel.

SinkerThis keeps you bait underthe water, where the fishare. This kind is a splitshot. Just squeeze it ontoyour line.

HooksThey come in many shapes and sizes.It’s better to use smaller hooks. A hooksize about 10 or 12 is good for manyreef fishes. With most hook sizes, thebigger the number, the smaller the hook.

SwivelUse this with a rod and reel; tie it tothe end of your mainline. This kindis called a snap swivel. The swivelkeeps your line from getting twisted.You can clip a floater on the snap.

Tackle boxA place to store allyour fishing gear.

6 lb. test

Fish Line

Barb

Eye

Shank

Bend

Point

O’Doul HookSize 1

Limerick HookSize 7

AH HookSize 11

Plastic

Wooden egg

3

If your pole doesn’t have a cord, tieyour line to the tip with a knot like theone shown here. This knot is kind oflike the Japan knot on page 6.

Some bamboo poles come with aloop of cord at the tip end. Tie yourline to that loop, using the clinchknot on page 5.

Fishing with a bamboo pole is justabout the easiest kind of fishingthere is. Almost everyone learns tofish with a bamboo pole.

No matter how old you are, or howlong you’ve been fishing, bamboopole fishing is good fun. All youneed is a bamboo pole, line, andhook. You can put on a sinker and afloater, too. Make your line aboutas long as the pole plus your arm.

Bamboo Pole Fishing

Hook

Sinker

Floater

Line

4

Fishing with Rod and Reel

A rod and reel lets you fishfarther from shore than youcan with a bamboo pole.

There are different kinds ofrods and reels. The easiestkind to cast is the one shownhere, the spincasting rod andreel. This kind of reel is usedin fresh water, but hardly everin salt water.

Push the button on the back of the reelto let line out, and thread the linestraight through all the guides on therod. Turn the reel handle until it clicks,so no more line will come out.

Reel

“Trigger”

Guide

5

How do I tie a knot?You can use one of these three knots to tie a hook or swivel to your line. Fishing line is madeof nylon, and regular knots (like a “Granny” knot) won’t work. Before you tighten a knot, youshould make the line wet. The easiest way to do that is to wet the knot with your mouth. Aknot is the weakest part of your fishing line, so that’s where lines break most often.

Whenever you tie a knot, start out with lots of line. Then follow these steps:

Palomar knotThis is the easiest knot to tie.

1. Pass the line through the hook’seye, then double it back againthrough the eye.

2. Tie an overhand knot (just likethe first part of tying your shoes),but don’t pull it tight yet.

3. Pass the hook through the loop.

4. Pull the loose end of the line,and tighten the knot (don’t forgetto make it wet). Trim the end ofthe line.

Improved clinch knot

1. Pass the end of the line through thehook’s eye, then wrap it around the lineabout five times.

2. Bring the end of the line back towardthe hook and pass it through the first loopby the eye.

3. Pass the end back through the big loopyou just made.

4. Hold the hook and line, and pull theknot tight. Trim the end of the line.

Courtesy of DuPont Fishing Products Group

1. 2.

3.

4.

6

Word Search Words to find:aholeholebaitbamboobarbelscastingcoralfloaterfreshwaterhabitathookikaknotlinemamomarineoamaoopuopaereelsinkerswivel

How many angling words can you find? Words go left to right, top to bottom, and diagonally, and they can overlap each other. Circle eachword that you can find from the list.

Japan knotThis knot is used on hooks only.

1. Pass the line through the hook’s eyefrom the point side, and run it along theshank of the hook.

2. Make a loop (“A”) and wrap 3 or 4times around the line and the hook’s shank.Keep your fingers on this part of the knotuntil it’s tight.

3. Pass the end back through the loop(“A”) and pull tight.

4. Hold the hook and line, and pull theknot tight. Trim the end of the line.

Loop“A”

7

How do I cast a rod and reel?It’s a good idea to practice casting before you go fishing with a rod and reel for the first time.You can tie a practice plug or a wooden floater to your line for weight. Then go out to an openarea and practice till you’re (almost) perfect. This is how to cast with a small spincasting reel.

1. Let the plug hang down a few inchesbelow the rod tip. Make sure the line isn’twrapped around the rod. Put your indexfinger on the rod’s “trigger” to make surethe rod doesn’t go flying away when youcast.

6. If the plug goes high into the air,you’re letting go of the button toosoon. If the plug plops onto theground in front of you, you’re lettinggo too late. Just keep practicing untilyou get it right.

2. Look behind and around you, and make sure no one is standing too close. Also look to seethat you won’t get your line tangled in any trees or bushes.

3. Push and hold down the release buttonon the back of the reel.

4. Using mostly your wrist (not your whole arm), bring the rod backover your shoulder.

5. Gently swing the rod forward (using wrist action again), and let goof the release button just after the rod is straight up. You don’t have tothrow hard to make the plug go far.

Let go just past here Let go too soon

Let go too late

8

What can I use for bait?What you use for bait depends on what kind of fish you want to catch. Some fish eat plants,some eat animals, some eat just about anything. Always be careful when you put on bait, soyou don’t poke yourself with the hook.

Most small reef fish love ‘opae(shrimp), especially when it’salive. The only problem is youhave to catch the ‘opae and keepthem alive. Hook live ‘opaethrough the tail. If the ‘opae isdead, put the hook through thetail the long way.

Fish that only eat other fish willgo for live medaka (minnow)as bait. Hook the medakaeither through the mouth justbehind the lips, or through theback just below the dorsal fin.

Frozen shrimp works well with manyfish. You can use the shell to helphold the meat on the hook.

Ika (cuttlefish) is also a very goodbait. Just cut it into little pieces andput it on your hook. Both frozenshrimp and ika are found in yoursupermarket.

Doughballs can be used to catch fish that aren’ttoo picky about what they eat. Doughballs aremade from flour, water, and some kind of fishsauce (like canned sardines).

Bread works well for some fish. The breadneeds to be soft, so you can wrap it around thehook and it will stay together. Pinch it tightaround the shank so it stays on. Leave it kindof fluffy around the bend of the hook.

Live ‘opae

Dead ‘opae

Shrimp Ika

Medaka

Dorsal fin

Doughball Bread

9

Worms are good bait for many freshwaterfish. Push your hook sideways throughthe worm for fish with large mouths, likebass or catfish. For fish with smallermouths, like ‘o‘opu, push your hookthrough the worm the long way.

Lures aren’t bait, but look like something a fishwould want to eat. There are many types of lures.The best way to use a lure is to move it kind ofquickly through the water so the fish has to attackit. If a fish has too much time to check out a lure,the fish will figure out that the lure isn’t real foodafter all. Lures are used with a rod and reel, butnot a bamboo pole.

The table below shows what kind of bait works well with certain types of fish:

Fish Line (leader) Hook Bait(pound test) (type, size)

Saltwater*Aholehole 2 - 4 AH 13 Shrimp, ikaHinalea 2 - 4 Limerick 12 Shrimp, ika, breadKupipi 2 - 4 Limerick 12-15 Shrimp, ikaMamo 2 - 4 Limerick 12-15 Shrimp, ika‘U‘u (menpachi) 4 - 6 AH 13 Shrimp‘Oama 1 - 2 Limerick 18-20 Shrimp

*All of these fish will go for live ‘opae

FreshwaterLargemouth bass 6 - 8 Limerick 6 Crayfish, medakaChannel catfish 6 - 10 O’Doul 1 Liver, wormTilapia 4 - 6 Limerick 7 Bread, doughballsTrout 4 - 6 Limerick 6 Worm, medakaTucunare 4 - 6 Limerick 4 Medaka‘O‘opu nakea 4 - 6 Limerick 10 Worm

10

Where do fish live?If you want to catch fish, you have to know where to look for them. Fish will usually be foundin places that have food for them to eat, places to hide from bigger fish, and clean water. Fishneed these things in order to survive.

Where a fish lives is called its habitat. Fish live in either freshwater or saltwater habitats. InHawai‘i there are many more kinds of saltwater (marine) fish than freshwater fish. Many fishlike to feed and hide near underwater objects. In the ocean, fish are attracted to coral reefs orother places that give them shelter. Many types of fish will be able to find food on and abovehealthy coral reefs. In streams and reservoirs, fish like to hide and feed near weeds, fallen trees,or behind rocks and boulders.

The ocean has different types of habitats for fish.Many fish like coral reefs, but others stay aroundboulders or sandy bottom areas. Which type ofhabitat do your think will attract the most fish?What kind of food can fish find in sandy bottomareas? Where can fish hide in this picture?

11

Clean water is very important to fish. Most seaweeds and water plants can only grow in cleanwater. Seaweeds and plants are food for some fish. Coral also needs clean water to live andgrow. You won’t find very many fish in places where coral or plants can’t survive, like in pol-luted water. Most of the plants and animals that can live in dirty water are not good food forfish (or people).

Pollution isn’t the only thing that can mess up a fish’s home. In some places, people catch fishby putting bleach into the water and waiting for the stunned fish to come out of their holes.This is a terrible thing to do to fish and their habitat, because it will kill part of the reef andkeep other fish away for a long time. Dropping anchors on coral, or taking coral out of thewater, also takes away habitat. When habitats are messed up or destroyed, fish have to moveaway and find someplace else to live.

There are different types of freshwater habitats, too.Some fish like streams, others like reservoirs. Wheredoes the stream end and the reservoir begin? Can youfind the ‘o‘opu in the stream?

Do you think the water on these two pages is polluted?How can you tell?

Answer: No, because there are lots of fish.

12

How do fish...

Swim? A fish swims by moving its tailfrom side to side. It uses its other fins tohelp it steer, swim backwards, and keepitself right-side-up in the water.

See? Fish have very good vision, and manyfish can probably see colors. Fish see best atclose range. Fish that are active mostly atnight will have big eyes to let in more light.

Hear? Fish have ear bones inside their heads,and can hear pretty well. A fish also has alateral line that runs along both sides of thebody and acts a little like an ear. It lets thefish know when something is moving in thewater nearby.

Breathe? A fish has gills on each side of its head.The fish takes water in through its mouth, passes itover the gills, and out through the gill opening. Thegills take oxygen out of the water and put it into thefish’s blood.

Smell? A fish has two nostrils on its head. Eachnostril has two openings. Water goes in one openingand out the other. A fish does not breathe throughits nostrils. Fish have a very good sense of smell.

Taste? A fish has tastebuds on its tongue andinside its mouth. Some fish, like goatfish, havebarbels (“whiskers”) near their mouths. Thebarbels also have tastebuds, and help the fishfind its food.

Eat? Fish that eat plants usually have smallmouths with fine teeth, and bite off little partsof a plant at a time. Fish that eat other fishhave big mouths with sharp teeth, which keepthe prey from escaping.

Lateral line

Barbels

Planteater

Meat eater

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Safe FishingWhenever you go fishing, tell someone (an adult) where you’re going and when you thinkyou’ll be back. Don’t go fishing alone — take along a friend or a parent.

Fishing is an outdoor sport, so youneed to watch out for the sun.Wear a hat and shirt, and put onsunscreen. Wear sunglasses toprotect your eyes.

Bare feet are not a good idea when you go fishing.Wear shoes, not slippers. Be careful where you step.

Watch out for waves. They canget big real fast. Stay off wetrocks by the water’s edge. Neverturn your back on the ocean.

Wear a life preserver when you fishat reservoirs with steep banks, onboats, or other places where youcould fall into deep water. Learn toswim if you don’t know how.

Be careful with hooks — when you’re tying them on and when you’re casting. If you getpoked, and the hook doesn’t go in past the barb, just pull it out. If the hook is in past the barb,it’s best to have a doctor remove it. If you can’t wait that long, you could have an adult removeit. One way is by looping a string or line around the bend of the hook. Push down on the shankand pull the line (see the diagrams below). See a doctor afterwards in case you need a tetanusshot.

Courtesy of O. Mustad & Son (U.S.A.) Inc.

14

What kind of fish can I catch?

AholeholeThe aholehole is a silver fish that is often found swimming in schools. It likes to swim aroundrocks and coral heads, and is usually caught in the late evening and at night.

Aholehole eat small crabs and shrimp, so shrimp is a good bait. Aholehole can grow to beabout 12 inches long. The aholehole is found in Hawai‘i and nowhere else.

HinaleaThe hinalea is a very common fish in Hawai‘i, and is one of the easiest fish to catch on the reef.It has a purplish blue head, orange “saddle” behind the head, and a green body.

Hinalea feed mostly during the day, and eat seaweed and small crabs. Shrimp is good bait.Hinalea can grow to be about 12 inches long. The hinalea is found only in Hawai‘i.

Saltwater fish

15

KupipiThe kupipi is a small fish, found in shallow reef and boulder areas. It usually swims alone or insmall groups. Young kupipi are often found in tidepools.

The kupipi’s color is grayish brown with lighter stripes, and it has dark spots on its tail and dor-sal fin. It can grow to be about 9 inches long. It eats mostly during the day, and likes seaweedand small crabs. You can catch kupipi using shrimp or ika for bait.

MamoThe mamo is another common fish on Hawai‘i’s reefs. It is found in shallow water, and oftenswims in small groups. Young mamo are very common in tidepools.

The mamo is a pale greenish color with black bars. The lower sides are often yellow, but notalways. It can grow to be about 9 inches long. Mamo eat mostly during the day, and like smallcrabs and other shellfish. You can catch it on shrimp or ika. The mamo is found only inHawai‘i.

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‘U‘u (menpachi)The Hawaiian name for this fish is ‘u‘u, but most people call it by its Japanese name, menpachi.This fish is brick red, and at night its lower sides become a silvery color.

The menpachi is a schooling fish, and during the day it hides in caves. It feeds at night, andlikes to eat small crabs and shrimp, so shrimp is a good bait to use. Some menpachi can growto be about 14 inches long.

‘OamaThe ‘oama is a baby weke, and is a fun fish to catch with a bamboo pole. Its color is silverywhite with a yellow stripe along the side, and it has barbels under its chin. When an ‘oamagrows to be more than 7 inches, it is a weke.

‘Oama are found in shallow sandy areas during late summer, usually in large schools. Theyfeed by night and day, and eat small crabs and shrimp. ‘Opae is the best bait to use for ‘oama.Some people like to eat ‘oama; others like to use them as bait for larger fish (like papio).

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Largemouth bassThe largemouth bass lives mostly in reservoirs in Hawai‘i, and is usually found close to shorenear underwater logs or weeds. Its color is dark green above and white below, with a darkstripe or blotches along the side.

Bass feed mostly in the early morning and late evening, and like to eat small fish, crayfish andfrogs. Crayfish and medaka make good bait. Largemouth bass were first brought to Hawai‘i in1896.

Channel catfishThe channel catfish has barbels around its mouth. It uses them to help find food. The channelcatfish’s color is a dark bluish gray above, and lighter below. It has dark spots on its sides, andits color gets darker as the fish gets older.

Channel catfish live mostly in reservoirs in Hawai‘i. They feed on the bottom, so that’s whereyou need to put your bait. Catfish like to eat small fish, clams, and snails. Liver is a good bait,and many people soak the bait in their own secret recipes to make it smell strong (“stinkbait”)and attract more fish. Channel catfish were first brought to Hawai‘i in 1958.

Freshwater fish

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TilapiaThe tilapia is a fish that you can find all over the place, in many streams and reservoirs. Tilapiaare usually a dark gray color, but some types are orange or yellow.

The tilapia mostly eats algae, but isn’t a very picky eater and will eat just about anything it can.It is an easy fish to catch, and doughballs make good bait. Tilapia were first brought to Hawai‘iin 1951.

TucunareThe tucunare is one of the most fun fish to catch in fresh water. The tucunare’s color is yellowwith a green back and white belly, and it has dark bars on the sides. It also has a black spot onits tail.

Tucunare live mostly in the larger reservoirs in Hawai‘i. They feed on small fish, so medaka isa good bait to use. Tucunare were first brought to Hawai‘i in 1957.

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Rainbow troutThe rainbow trout is a fish that likes cold water. In Hawai‘i it lives on the islands of Kaua‘i andHawai‘i, in cold water streams and a few reservoirs. The rainbow trout is bluish green aboveand silvery below, with a pink stripe along the sides. Its back, sides, and fins have small blackspots.

Rainbow trout feed on fish eggs and small fish. Worms or medaka can be used for bait, andsalmon eggs work well. Rainbow trout were first brought to Hawai‘i in 1920.

‘O‘opu nakeaThe ‘o‘opu nakea is one of only five freshwater fishes that are native to Hawai‘i. All of thesenative fish are called ‘o‘opu, and live most of their lives in streams.

After adult ‘o‘opu lay their eggs, and the eggs hatch, the young ‘o‘opu are swept out to sea.After a few months, when they are still pretty small, they return and make their way back up thestreams. At this time they are called hinana.

The ‘o‘opu nakea is the largest ‘o‘opu, and can grow to be 11 to 14 inches long. It is a lightbrown color, with dark blotches. It has a dark patch on its tail, and dark stripes on its fins.‘O‘opu eat algae, worms, and snails. Worms are the best bait. The other ‘o‘opu are found onlyin Hawai‘i, but nakea is also found in the South Pacific.

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How do I catch a fish?First of all, find a place where you think there might be fish to catch (see pages 10-11). Thereare some areas where fishing is illegal, or where you can only fish with certain types of gear.These places are listed in the Hawai‘i Fishing Regulations booklet. If you have to cross overprivate property to get to a fishing spot, be sure to get permission from the people who own theproperty. Once you’re at the spot:

Set up your bamboo pole or rod and reel. Bait the hook.

If you’re using a rod and reel, cast out your line. Set the drag tightenough so you can set the hook, but loose enough so a fish won’tbreak your line. (“Setting the hook” means pulling back on yourline fast to poke the hook through the fish’s mouth.)

If you’re using a bamboo pole, just flip the line into the water.

Watch your floater. When it starts to wiggle, a fish is nibbling atyour bait.

It takes practice to know when to set the hook, but when the floatergoes under water you pull back on your rod and hope the hook getsset in the fish’s mouth. If you pull back too soon, you’ll just pull thehook out of the fish’s mouth. If you wait too long, the fish mightswallow it.

It’s easy to pull in a fish with a bamboo pole. With a rod and reelyou need to keep the line tight so the hook can’t come back out.Pull the rod back, then reel in line as you lower the rod. Keepdoing that until the fish is close enough for you to land.

If the fish is small, you can just lift it out of the water with yourpole. If it’s big enough that it might break the line, scoop it out ofthe water with a landing net.

21

I caught a fish. Now what do I do?

What fish can I keep?

You need to decide whether or not you want to keep your fish. If you’re not going to eat it, or ifit’s pretty small, release it carefully and let it go. Be careful when you handle fish, becausethey often have sharp spines on their fins.

To release a fish, keep it in the water asmuch as you can, handle it gently, anddon’t touch the eyes. Take the hook outwith your fingers or pliers. If the fish hasswallowed the hook, cut the line as closeto the hook as you can. The fish will beall right. Get the fish back in the water asquick as you can.

It’s a good idea to use barbless hooks ifyou plan to let your fish go. You can makea barbless hook by just squeezing the barbflat with a pair of pliers. Barbless hooksare easier to remove from a fish, and don’thurt the fish as much when pulled out.

If you’re going to keep your fish and eat it, you should throw it into a cooler on ice if possible.Or you can keep it alive by putting it in a wire basket or on a stringer and leaving it in thewater. Otherwise, keep it wet and out of the sun so it doesn’t start to spoil. The fish will need tobe cleaned, but you should let an adult do that.

Only keep fish that you are going to eat. Also, thereare laws that tell you what fish you can’t keep. Somefish have a minimum size — if they’re too small youhave to let them go so they can grow big enough tospawn (lay eggs) at least once. Aholehole and manyfreshwater fishes have a minimum size.

Some fish can’t be kept during their closed seasons,certain months of the year when they spawn. And somefish have bag limits, which means you can only keep acertain number of that kind of fish. It’s important toknow the rules for fishing. You should get a copy ofthe Hawai‘i Fishing Regulations from a fishing store orthe Division of Aquatic Resources.

Barb Barbless

22

Which fish are keepers?In Hawai‘i, some fish have to be a certain length (minimum size) in order for an angler to keepthem. It’s important to know the rules. In our fishpond the rule is that the fish has to be at least4 inches long including the tail.Circle the fish that are keepers.

23

Food chain mazeFish and other water animals need food, and they like to stay around places where there’s lots toeat. A food chain tells us what gets eaten by what. Try to follow the ulua through its foodchain.

Ulua

eats

Eel ‘U‘u Shrimp Limu

eats eats eats

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How can I help make fishing better inHawai‘i?Be safe. Be careful when casting, and pick up all your fish hooks.

Know the rules. Fishing regulations protect fish, mostly to help them spawn. They also helpmore people to catch fish. The idea behind all fishing rules is to keep the numbers of fishes inHawai‘i’s waters from becoming too low. So following the rules is very important.

Be courteous. Fish quietly so you don’t bother other anglers. Don’t crowd other anglers, crossyour line over theirs, or disturb them in other ways. Treat other anglers the way you’d like themto treat you.

Don’t litter. Pick up your old fishing line, leftover bait, and anything else on the ground.Some of these things can be dangerous to people, and some can harm fish if blown into thewater. Leave your fishing area a little cleaner than it was when you came.

Catch and release. Keep only the fish you’re going to eat, and carefully let others go. Usebarbless hooks whenever you can. The fun of fishing is in catching the fish. If you let your fishgo, it will live to fight another day.

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The Department of Land and Natural Resources receives financial support under theFederal Aid in Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration and other federal programs. UnderTitle VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,Title II of the Americans with Disabilitites Act of 1990, the Age Discrimination Act of1975, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, and the laws of the State ofHawaii, the U.S. Department of the Interior and the State of Hawaii prohibit discrimi-nation on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, and disability. Ifyou believe that you have been discriminated against in any program, activity or facili-ty, or if you desire information, please write to: Affirmative Action Officer, PersonnelOffice, Department of Land and Natural Resources, 1151 Punchbowl Street, Rm. 231,Honolulu, HI 96813, or the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Civil Rights Branch, 4040 N.Fairfax Drive, Suite 300, Arlington, VA 22203.